AFTERBURNER

We hear the same story all too often. “My buddy told me to drop off my truck and said he’d have the bodywork and paint done in about a month. Then he just disappeared.” Sadly, it’s not a new situation and not something any of us can blame on the pandemic or the president. Stuff like this has been happening throughout history, but it feels like the frequency continues to escalate as time marches on.

Shane Smith of Senoia, Georgia, knows the story oh, so well. In the case of his ‘66 C10 project, those days of uncertainty are far away in his rearview mirror. In fact, when he teamed up with Jeremy Rice and his team at Tre 5 Customs and Frank Rechlin of Ikandy Paintworks, a new chapter began and Shane’s story took an upward swing that would ultimately lead to a very happy ending.

“I have to give big thanks to Jeremy and all of the guys at Tre 5 Customs for taking in the build after I had troubles with other shops.” Once the ‘66 arrived at Tre 5 in Peoria, Arizona, the crew’s work was swift and deliberate. The photos tell the story of the attention given to the underhood area. 

Shane explains what it took to plumb those killer twin Nelson Racing mirror-image 72mm turbos, “All of the hot side and cold side of the intake and exhaust were all built by Jeremy’s team. The headers started with a set of Ultimate Headers CNC Machined flanges. From there, it is all 304 stainless steel 1-7/8” tubing to a set of stainless cast collectors. Once it leaves the turbos, it is 3” tubing through a set of Borla mufflers and extending all the way to the rear bumper. The entire setup is all TIG welded stainless steel. The intake side is TIG welded aluminum tubing. There is no intercooler, but there is a heat exchanger system, similar to a supercharger. A custom-built reservoir supplies a system that pumps coolant through a heat exchanger mounted behind the grille. The cooled fluid then goes into a ‘brick’ between the upper and lower portions of the intake manifold. This system cools the intake air temps right before the air goes into the engine.”

The truck’s sheetmetal received the same level of attention. Hearing Shane talk about it all is like listening to a kid on Christmas morning. “I really like all of the work they did. The opening bed floor with matching trim strips, smoothed and tucked bumpers, the mini roll pan at the rear bumper. Full custom sheet metal in the engine bay – firewall, tubs, radiator cover, reservoirs, etc. all by Tre 5. The trim, bumpers, grille, head light bezels, and tail light bezels were all custom powder coated and brushed by Pac Coast Powder in Palmdale, California.”

Inside the cab, the interior was laid out by the incomparable Steve Yiu at Elevated Design in Phoenix, Arizona. Shane goes on, “The seat is from Snowden, the column is from Ididit, the steering wheel is Billet Specialties, and the window and door cranks are from Ring Brothers, as are the exterior side view mirrors. Heat and AC come from a Restomod Air system. The dash was shaved and modified to fit the double DIN radio, AC vents, and AC controls. The interior paint and body work was also done by Ikandy Paintworks. Underneath the carpet and behind all the panels is Restomod Air’s Membrane sound deadener. He finished it all off with Morel speakers in the kick panels, JL Audio subs behind the seat, and JL Audio amps powering everything.”

“Frank and his Team at Ikandy Paintworks laid down one of the nicest paint jobs I have ever seen. They are responsible for all of the bodywork and paint. The color is a straight red toner from Sherwin Williams with multiple coats of House of Kolor clear.”

The chassis is a mix of old and new. Mostly new, though. GSI Manufacturing & Fabrication air ride back half and front clip bring the truck down to the ground with the help of Accuair eLevel air management. US Mags Bastille wheels in 22×9 and 24×15 are custom powder coated and wrapped in Pirelli 255/30R22 and 405/25R24 tires. Wilwood 15” rotors and 6-piston calipers are tucked neatly behind the wheels.

Shane’s truck is a great example of how perseverance can lead to teaming up with the right players to get the job done. Sometimes you just need the right guys to kick in the afterburners.